Breaking Us Down
by x-ToxicScorpion-x
Summary: Everything got worse when Dan joined Phil's college. The tormenting Phil went through before hand became a lot worse, and everything changed. But why does Dan feel so guilty about everything Phil goes through, and more to the point... why does he do it? (sorry for the terrible description) WARNING: Prostitution, Self Harm, Swearing!
1. Chapter 1

**Phil's P.O.V**

Dan smirked as Joe shoved me up against a locker.  
"Faggot!"  
I cringed away from the crude insult and felt a cool tear begin to track down my face.  
Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself for the punishment I received every day for being gay. At least if I fell over there was a possibility that one of them might kick me in the head and cause me to pass out.  
Soon enough they had me curled up on the floor, my arms clasped around my head.  
"C'mon, Howell! Why aren't you doing anything? Feel sorry for the fag or something?"  
I opened my eyes in surprise to see Dan start, and then laugh.  
"No, of course not. Just didn't want to get homo on my shoe."

My eyes, which had slid open briefly when I had realised Dan wasn't joining in, slid closed again and caused another salty tear to fall and splash on the hard floor.

I guess I should explain.

My name is Phillip Lester. I attend my local college, or as I call it, Hell. I don't have many friends, because no one wants to put up with the abuse I endure.  
And all for one reason.

I'm homosexual.

I didn't realise how homophobic people are- at least, not until everyone in my college found out.  
Before hand, I couldn't say I was popular but I wasn't particularly bullied, but I was happy. I had friends, a family that loved me and a roof over my head.

But now, everything is different. Every day, I get attacked by the same group of guys, lead by by the most attractive guy in the school- Daniel Howell. Dan arrived at the college half a year ago, and the day arrived he walked straight up to where I was being beaten on the floor, and for about thirty seconds I thought he would try to save me. That was until he joined the others.  
He looked different to the others- his face, with it's dimples and almost permanent grin, looked sensitive and caring, but all of that was wrong as I found out when he joined the flock of my tormentors.

Daniel Howell was just as bad, if not sometimes worse than the rest.

When I went home at night, I would lie to my mum, tell her I fell over. Not that she really cared- she was ashamed to have a gay boy as a son.  
Today was different, though.  
Where I was used to being given a swift kick in the head or ribs from Dan, today he stood back with almost angst in his eyes.  
No, that couldn't be right. Dan didn't care about me, he cared about nothing but himself. That was why everyone looked up to him, wanted to be like him- even me.  
Eventually the boys let off and I staggered to my feet, cursing as my leg sent a bolt of pain through me.  
I leaned against the lockers, breathing hard and trying to override the pain with my eyes squeezed tight. I felt an arm wrap around me and PJ's concerned voice met my ears.  
"Phil? Shit man, are you okay?"

I slowly opened my eyes and gave him a small smile.  
"As okay as I ever am, I guess."  
It wasn't too far to my next lesson, so PJ walked me part of the way before branching off to go to his own.

**Dan's P.O.V**

I didn't know what was happening to me. Normally I could push down the disgust at myself when I had to cause Phil pain, but today I could see the tears brimming in his vibrant blue eyes, saw them slowly dulling as the last bit of spark faded away.

It was like a vice had been locked around my legs.

You see, I don't enjoy what I do. Whenever I see the look of pain or terror on my victim's face, I feel like someone has reached into my stomach and is squeezing it tightly in their fist. I'm scum, the lowest of the low.  
I have my reasons for my behaviour.  
At my last school, I told someone something I should have kept to myself. At the point I was a reasonably popular, happy teenage guy with a loving family and friends I could trust. At least, I thought I could.  
So I told my "friend" this one little secret, and within hours it was all over my school.  
Suddenly, the boys I used to see being thrown around in hallways, pushed against lockers and punched... I was one of them. No one wanted to talk to me in fear of being treated the same way, and no one cared to do anything more than snarl insults.

It was like I had no reason to exist. And in reality, I guess, I didn't.

That's why I moved over to this college. On my first day, I promised myself two things:  
-I wouldn't trust anyone.  
- I would fit in.

_When I arrived at the school, the first person I saw was Joe in the courtyard. He and his gang had cornered a boy, gangly with messy black hair and wide frightened blue eyes, and were kicking him as he lay on the floor begging them to stop.  
I began to walk over and heard him yell something.  
"Since when does sexual orientation mean anything!"  
So the boy was gay. I felt a wave of anger at his attackers for being so narrow minded and homophobic, but pushed it down before casually strolling over to the group.  
"What's up?"  
Joe smirked at me, and I tried to forget my disgust as I grinned.  
"This little fag tried to run away from us." _

_He turned and kicked the boy in the ribs sharply- I tried to hide my wince.  
"Didn't you, queer boy?"_

That was the moment when I realised they only way I would fit in would be to pretend to be one of those people.

_"Fucking hell. What, couldn't run properly because of his gay little habits?"  
I hated myself so much when I said that.  
The tall bully, who I found out to be called Joe,snorted and turned to me again.  
"What's your name, kid?" he asked, even though we had to be around the same age.  
"Dan. Dan Howell."  
"Well, you seem like a cool guy, Howell. What do you say to hanging around with us?"  
"Sure." _

_I looked down at the boy to see his aqua eyes looking at me, swimming with tears.  
I swallowed my guilt and snarled at the boy.  
"What are you looking at, fag? Fancy me or something?" At this, I aimed a kick at his ribs, trying to bite back my disgust. I told myself it was only self defence, if I didn't do this I'd be in the same situation as the black haired boy. I didn't deserve that, did I?_

**Phil's P.O.V**

Biology. Great. I groaned as I dragged myself across the room to the black and slid into the only available seat- right next to Dan.

I didn't say anything as I unpacked my bag and huddled in my seat, looking anywhere apart from Dan's face.  
Thirty minutes through the lesson, I became aware of Dan staring at me.  
"Hey, fa-Phil?"  
I jumped at the interaction, peering through my fringe warily at Dan.  
"Y-yeah?"  
"Are... are you okay? Your arm is bleeding pretty badly."  
I looked down at my sleeve, and saw blood soaking through the thin purple fabric. It looked as if I had accidentally scratched over one of my cuts and opened it again.  
Great.  
"Yeah, I'll sort it."  
I pulled out my box of plasters and bandages I had learnt to carry around with me and grabbed the first roll I saw. Then came the hard part. I glanced around to make sure it was safe and everyone was looking at the teacher before cautiously beginning to pull up my sleeve.  
The rows of healing cuts stung as the material pulled across them, but it was a pain I was used to and could bear. The bandage was soon wrapped firmly around my arm, making me cringe slightly as the rough fabric scratched and tugged at the tender skin.  
I tucked the end under with a safety pin and examined the bandage. I had done a pretty neat job for once.  
Tugging my sleeve down again, I looked up to find Dan staring at my arm. Confused, I looked down before realising he must have seen the cuts.  
"Shit."

**Dan's P.O.V**

I couldn't help but stare at the cuts that marred the perfect skin on Phil's arms. As far as I could see he had a sleeve of slashes, some deeper than others but all enough to have drawn blood.  
I felt a stabbing in my chest and I drew in a shaky breath.  
Had I caused this? A feeling of self loathing crashed over me as I realised I was probably responsible for at least half of those wounds he had given himself.  
At this point, he finally finished bandaging and looked up to see me gazing at his arms. His eyes widened and dropped to him arm before he sagged in his seat, cheeks red with mortification.  
"Shit." I murmured, as the bell rang and people began flooding out. Phil grabbed his stuff and shoved it back into his backpack, practically sprinting out of the room to escape.  
(A/N: there will be triggers in the next part! Sorry!)  
**Phil's P.O.V**

Shit. Dan had seen my scars... how long before that got around the college? I couldn't take the heat, and I ran through the corridors and out of the doors, not knowing where I was going. Tears streamed down my face as I sprinted through the streets, finally collapsing in a hedge. My hands shook as I fumbled around in my pockets for my penknife, before tugging it out and flipping out the sharpest blade. My adrenaline pumped around my body and I rolled up my sleeve, drawing the knife slowly over my wrist, shutting my eyes and almost groaning at the relief. The pain overrode everything that had happened that day, and gave me an outlet. Before I knew it, I had three more cuts over my wrist. I smiled at the sting before wrapping them tightly to minimise the blood loss, standing up and leaving the bloody tissues in the bush. There was no point in returning to the school, and so I began walking down the street again, more calmly this time.  
Half an hour later I had got back home, and I was sat in my room trying to avoid my mother. I could hear her cluttering around downstairs, and I had no wish to talk to her. This was the time I liked most, when I was allowed to be alone for a few moments, allowed to close my eyes and pretend to be someone else for a few minutes. I was in my own world as I curled up, and there I was the opposite of what I was in reality.

Dream Phil was popular. People accepted I was gay, and I had a boyfriend. Every day, I would return to my family who loved me, greeted me with a hug, and asked me how my day was. I pretended to hate it, but in reality it was a normal, reassuring part of my day. I would go out with my friends like the teenagers I could see from my bedroom, and I would never feel alone or different. I fitted in.

I could stay in my little world for hours until my alarm clock rang at seven.

I dragged myself out of the old bed, pulling on a tight shirt and my skinniest jeans, brushing my hair out of my eyes and climbing out of my window. My mother wouldn't realise I had gone out, wouldn't bother to check on me at all.  
My tatty vans hit the concrete outside my window and I began my nightly walk, down through potentially unsafe alleyways and behind a small, suspicious looking pub. Behind there a whole cluster more people stood, leaning against buildings and some smoking. I quickly scanned the prostitutes, checking for potential competition.  
A few girls stood together, dressed in traditional slutty fishnets, skirts and bras or corsets. There were some others scattered around, keeping to themselves, and even some knocking back alcohol to take away some of the memories from tonight. There were very few male ones like myself, just about three guys in V-necks and skinnies.

That was both good and bad, because that meant it was likely I would be picked up. If it wasn't for the fact I needed the money I wouldn't even know this place existed, but fact was as my mother didn't give a crap about me I needed some way of bringing in money without any qualifications, apart from shit GCSEs. Turns out some people will pay out a decent amount for an nineteen year old college boy with hopeless eyes and a scarred body. I hated the way it made me feel, like some dirty rag that could be shared, passed around getting more and more damaged and jaded every time, but it's what I had to do to keep myself fed and clothed.

Soon enough, a car drove up and a guy stuck his head out of the window, his eyes scanning the whores before finally resting on me. He didn't look too bad- he wasn't so much older than me and he looked pretty sorry himself as he beckoned me over.  
I walked confidently over like I had been taught, and leaned into the window space.  
"Hi, I'm Phil."  
"Charlie. So, are you going to get in or what?"

**Dan's P.O.V**

I followed Phil as he ran, keeping a good space behind him all the way out of the gates and along the winding streets until he stopped suddenly. I hid behind a wall as I watched him climb behind a load of bushes.  
He left about twenty minutes after, and I slipped behind there to see what he had been doing. A pile of bloody tissues confirmed my suspicions- he had cut again. I sighed before standing and following Phil again down the paths.  
It was days like today that I was glad Phil only lived across the street from me as he slipped through his front door. He was acting strangely, and I wanted to figure out what was happening.

He stayed inside for hours, until finally emerging at just after seven. I ran out and tracked him again, frowning as he wound through dark allies and round the back of a pub- "The Hare-chaser inn" that frankly looked like it should have been shut down a long time ago.

I peered around the corner- and gasped.

Phil had stopped in an area behind the pub with other people. A closer look confirmed they were whores, girls with slutty clothing and guys in tight apparel. At first I thought he must be lost, but then a car drew up and the driver beckoned Phil over. I watched, my heart in my throat as he sauntered over to where the guy in the car was waiting. Within moments, he had climbed into the car and was driven away.

So Phil was a prostitute. I slid down the wall in disbelief, shaking my head at what had been revealed to me. There was only one thing I could think to do.

Pulling myself together, I put my hands in my pockets and tried to pull a neutral expression over my face, before walking over to where a group of girls in bras and shorts clustered.

"Hello, ladies." I smirked flirtatiously at the whores, and they looked at me with interest.  
"Hey, there." A busty blonde had stepped forward, tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking straight into my eyes confidently.  
"Hi there."  
"You don't happen to know anything about that one that just got in the car? Phil?"  
"Oh yeah, he's pretty new. Only been doing this for six or seven months. Shame he's gay, really. Considering he's covered in scars and all, he does pretty well- he probably gets much more pick ups than anyone else here, apart from maybe Chris. Why?"

I shrugged. "Just wondered, he looked like he really didn't want to be there. Anyway, can I buy any one of you ladies a drink?" I figured I could get some more information if the girl was drunk.  
The blonde cocked her eyebrow at me.  
"You do realise we're prostitutes, right?"  
"Yeah, I was just figuring it's probably preferable to standing out here all night. So, you up for it?"  
"Sure." she smirked at me, and pulled a jacket on over her cropped bodice.  
"Let's go, then."

A/N: I actually don't know what was happening to my brain when I wrote this, but it turned out alright so I thought I would upload it and see what you guys think. I'm sorry it's so weird, please don't judge me! Anyway, let me know what you think! C:


	2. Chapter 2

**Phil's P.O.V**

At eight the next morning I automatically awoke, even though it was a weekend. Glancing over at the guy asleep next to me, I quickly scrambled out of the soft bed and grabbed all my clothes before walking out of the room.  
The money had been left on a table and I scooped it up, counting it quickly. More than enough. A grinned spread across my face and I quietly slipped out of the flat, not sure on where to go. All I knew was that I needed to get to the nearest liquor store as soon as possible before memories of the previous night broke through the layer of tired bleariness. I winced as I walked- it seemed like I'd be walking for a while and frankly I ached all over.  
The shop was only a grubby little corner store, but it would do. I started rummaging through the drinks shelves when a hand landed on my shoulder, causing me to swing round in shock.  
"Phil?"  
PJ was looking at me in confusion, his eyebrows creased together.  
"What are you doing here? I thought you lived at the other side of town?"  
I cursed silently- although Peej was my best friend, I had never told him what I did for a living, and I wasn't planning to either. I didn't need my closest friend thinking I was disgusting and leaving me even more alone in the world.  
Thankfully before I could answer PJ ploughed on.  
"Why are you buying alcohol so early anyway? It's only eight thirty!"  
"Oh, uh, thought I'd just give myself a boost, y'know?" My statement came out sounding more like a question. He looked at me strangely and slowly shook his head.  
"You're acting really weird, Phil. And I'm gonna find out why. Listen, why don't we go out to the pub later after I finish work, grab a proper pint instead of this cheap crap?"  
I felt the notes still crisply rolled in my pocket. I had enough to keep myself fed and sheltered this week at least, and more to spend on myself, so why not? The guy last night had overpaid me big time, and I felt a rush of gratitude towards him and his dirty money.  
"Sure, why not?"

**Dan's P.O.V**

"I don't know, Chris. It's just like something has changed. I used to be able to ignore the guilt." I sat on my best friend's bed, my head leaning up against the headboard and my eyes shut. Cross-legged, I played with the frayed hem of my jeans.  
"It's because this shell, this tough exterior isn't you, Dan. I know you. Before everyone found out you were a sweet, caring guy who put everyone before himself. I don't understand why you had to change."  
"Because I was being beaten half to fucking death every day! If I hadn't changed and become this… _monster…_ I would still be there now, being smashed to a pulp. Or who knows, maybe I would be dead by now!"  
"Don't ever say that!" Chris whispered. I opened my eyes to see his usually cheeky face pained.  
"Dan, I know you better than anyone. You're an amazing guy, but you're not strong enough to show that. This isn't you. You aren't some heartless bully, feeling pleasure when you cause someone pain and embarrassment. You need to sort this out, Daniel. You worry about Phil? Show him that. Stop the others from ruining his life like the others did yours. Don't tell him that you know what he does, just make him trust you and realize that you aren't planning to hurt him."  
I sighed, shutting my eyes again and leaning my head back to its previous position.  
"You're right."  
"Damn right I am. So you find him on Monday and ask him how he is. Don't give a crap about people watching; don't give a crap about what they think. And while you're at it, try and think of some way to get the others to back off."  
By Monday, I had made up my mind.

I was going to go back to who I was before.

Just this time, I would be stronger.

I wouldn't let them get to me. I would fight back this time. I knew I could now; I had been religiously attending Taekwondo classes every evening since the beatings had started. Now, just as I was about to obtain my black stripe, I knew enough self defense to hopefully protect both myself and Phil, if I had to.  
It would all start with my appearance.  
Where I had being wearing baggy sweatpants and jeans, I put on tight black skinny jeans. I brushed my hair forward into a soft, gleaming front fringe instead of how I usually wore it, brushed back at the hairline. My brown eyes sparkled at being myself again, and to complete the appearance I threw on my old Black Parade shirt. Red Toms replaced my Nikes, and when I was finally happy with my appearance I went downstairs to say goodbye to my parents. Their eyes widened at the way I had dressed and I swear my mum smiled contentedly.  
On the way I swiped my old iPod Nano instead of my relatively new Touch, the one that was packed full of decent music instead of the shitty pop and rap I had been trying to convince myself I liked for the last six months. I grabbed my Muse backpack, filled with various books, and began the walk to my college. I wasn't going to get the bus anymore- I wanted to be the complete opposite to "Bad Dan".  
I could feel the eyes fixated on me in astonishment as I walked confidently through the gates, a smirk on my face and my eyes looking straight ahead. "Plug in Baby" by Muse blared loudly in my ears and filled me with a feeling of power and energy that drained away as soon as Joe stepped in front of me.  
"Howell?"  
"Hi Joe." I grinned at him cockily, trying to veneer over my nervousness.  
"Why are you dressed like an emo fag, Dan?"  
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Fancied a change."  
Our exchange was cut short by the ringing of the bell, and he turned to me one last time before he left, a startled smirk pulling at his lips.  
"You turning into a faggot, Howell?"  
"Dunno, am I?" I returned his expression sarcastically and he looked taken aback. The bell rang again and he shot me one last sneer before swaggering off to his first session- probably "How to be an arrogant prick".  
I sighed, ruffling my fringe back over my forehead and shooting a look around the courtyard. There was no sign of Phil on campus yet, which made me wonder if he was coming in or not. Anyway, it didn't really matter- I was pretty sure my next lesson was with him, so I could find out there.

**Phil's P.O.V**

I kept my eyes firmly at my desk as in my peripheral vision I saw someone walk over and sit down next to me. The guy was tall and lanky, wearing skinny jeans and a My Chemical Romance shirt. His face was obstructed by a shield of shiny brunette hair.  
Suddenly, the guy turned his head to look at me and I bit back a gasp. Familiar chocolate eyes gazed back at me as I turned to look straight at him, and a hesitant smile pulled at his plump pink lips.

"D-Dan?"  
"Hey, Phil."  
"You look so… different." I couldn't help myself blurting out, and then blushed furiously.  
"Yeah well, say hello to the real Daniel Howell."  
"What do you mean?"  
He sighed deeply, pinching his glabellas with thumb and forefinger.  
"That bullying dick weed from before, he wasn't the real me. That was my veneer, m protection from being judged. I wanted to fit in when I moved to this school, and that was how I managed it. Turning into the biggest prick that ever walked shoe leather."  
I didn't say anything, just looked away with my head reeling. I was so confused as to what I had just heard, I zoned out and jumped when Fiona, our lecturer, addressed me.  
"Mr. Lester?"  
"Oh!" I smiled at her apologetically, and she grinned back, rolling her eyes. Out of all of our lecturers I liked Fiona the best. She was young, lovely and pretty, but she also knew exactly when we understood her and when we were bluffing. This lead to me understanding and liking her English class way more than any others.  
"I said, are you alright? You were just staring straight ahead with a perfectly blank expression. You aren't high, are you?"  
She chucked, and I shook my head back at her, giggling as well.  
"Of course not."  
It was strange, really. With all the other students I never really spoke, I was just the shy gay boy with black hair, skinny jeans and only one friend. With the teachers, I could banter along and have a good laugh. Surely for someone my age that should be the opposite way around?

**Dan's P.O.V**

The corridor was crammed today- it seemed like everyone was rushing to get to their next period. I pushed through densely packed people, muttering apologies to girls I elbowed in bad places and trying to keep my eyes on the mop of black hair about two feet in front of me. I was going to protect Phil today, no matter what trouble he ran into.  
Sure enough, he bumped into Joe and the others a few minutes later.  
"Hey, it's the faggot!" Liam sneered, and they all laughed.  
Phil just stared at the ground, his cheeks flushing in shame.  
"Leave him, guys." I summoned up my courage and walked over, standing in front of Phil and trying to stop myself from shaking.

**Phil's P.O.V**

"Leave him, guys."  
Dan stood in front of me, his face hidden from my view but his pose radiating confidence, and even a tinge of annoyance.  
The thugs looked at him, startled.  
Joe stepped forward.  
"Jesus, Dan, what's happened to you? First you come in dressed like an emo fag, and then you stick up for the queer. What's up, kid?"  
"I've taken off my mask."  
By this point, we were surrounded by people who had stopped on the way to their next lesson to ogle what was happening.  
"This is the real me, Joe. And seriously, I'm getting bored of seeing you beat this guy up. Honestly," he dropped his voice and put on an amused tone, "Anyone would you think you fancied him."  
The audience sniggered and Joe turned red in fury, his mouth opening and closing like a carp although nothing came out.  
All of a sudden, an arm flew out towards Dan's face. I opened my mouth to warn him, but before any sound could come out Dan's arm had flashed up in a perfect block and twisted it behind Joe's back.  
"Yeah, I wouldn't do that if I was you."  
Dan rolled his eyes and snorted, letting go of Joe with contempt and laughing at how he staggered back in shock.  
"Don't even think about laying a finger on me, boys. You'll know about it if you do, let's just say that. Oh," He paused to shoot a look at me before looking at his fingernails nonchalantly, "If I was you, I'd leave Phil alone too. It would be a shame if…" He dropped his hand and looked straight into Joe's eyes.  
"If you made me do anything I would regret."

**Dan's P.O.V**

To my surprise, the thugs looked pretty scared.  
Joe opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind and glared at me instead, then turning and storming off with his cronies following him like a load of muscled sheep.  
"Wow." I turned around to see Phil staring at me, his mouth hanging open.  
"So." I smirked at him. "What do you think of the old me?"  
"I'm thinking I prefer him, to be honest. Like, a lot."  
I felt myself grin, before I stuck out my hand to help him up.

"Dan?" Phil's timid voice alerted me back to the present. We had left the school, and somehow had ended up walking around in the shopping centre.  
"Yeah?"  
"Why did you… why didn't you just protect yourself like that when you first came to the college? Then you could have been yourself and not had to worry about it."  
I laughed quietly. "I've been training intensely in taekwondo for the last few months. Beforehand, I was a lower grade and I was nowhere near good enough to protect anything but now I'm too grades off black- one if my grading goes well this weekend. And also, I was a massive coward, worried people would not want to be my friend and judge me. It took a long time talking to Chris to convince myself I needed to do this."  
"Chris?"  
"My best friend, from my old school. He's a great guy, the only one who really knew who I was. He knows me better than I know myself, I swear."  
"Dan… are you sure this isn't some joke?"  
"Joke?"  
"Like, trying to make me trust you so when I'm not expecting it you can pull the carpet out from under my feet and send me crashing down."  
"Hell no. I'm hanging out with you because I much prefer your company to those pricks. You're a great guy, Phil."  
"No, I'm really not." I looked over at him, surprised by the subdued mutter.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Look at me. I'm imperfect all over. Firstly, I'm gay. (A/N: These aren't my opinions, guys! All for equality, blah blah blah…) I've been told ever since I came out that makes me broken. A guy that likes other boys? What's with that? Second, I cut. I know you've seen the scars, I see you staring at my sleeves. Again, what sort of disturbed person causes themselves pain? I have barely any friends. They all leave as soon as they find out. And then, to live I have to pros- I have to do things I'm not proud of. "Phil ducked his head to pull miserably to pull on his sleeve, and I sighed. I knew he would hold back about the prostitution.  
I looked around and saw we had reached the Starbucks. I pulled him in and bought him a drink before finding an isolated table where no one could hear what we were saying.  
"Phil, being gay is nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our preferences, just we- you happen to like something completely different to all of those homophobic cockhats at college. Not just that, you aren't a freak because you self harm. It might feel like you're alone, but loads of other people are out there too doing exactly the same thing. You need to sort it out and stop, because one day you might cut too deep and then I'll lose you. By doing it, you fall into a cycle. And of course you have friends. You have Pj, and you have… me." I looked at him shyly, my lips crooking up into a smile.  
"I guess you have me now too."

**Phil's P.O.V**

My mind reeled.  
Did Dan just say he wanted to be my friend?  
Dan, one of the guys that up until recently I thought enjoyed terrorizing me?  
I guess I really had got him wrong.

**Dan's P.O.V**

We stayed in the coffee shop for a while after, chatting and occasionally even doubling over in laughter until Phil looked at his watch and stiffened.  
"Uh, I need to get home."  
"I'll walk with you." It was only a quick walk, and seeing as I loved across the road it made sense.  
He smiled gratefully at me.  
"Thanks."  
I wanted to add I knew where he was going. I wanted to tell him- BEG him- not to do it, that he could come back and stay at mine until he sorted himself out. I knew my parents wouldn't mind.  
But as much as I wanted to say that, I couldn't. I didn't want him to find out I knew, or he might think I was just getting close to take advantage or to get ammunition to make his life hell.  
We walked in comfortable silence, until he branched off to go into his own house.  
"Thanks, Dan."  
"That's okay… oh, and I meant to… I…" I rolled my eyes at my sudden awkwardness, and just pulled him into a hug.  
"I'm so sorry for everything I've done, Phil." He relaxed from his state of surprise and hugged me back tentatively.  
"It's okay, Dan."  
I pulled away to look into his aqua eyes seriously.  
"No, it really isn't. I hurt you because I didn't have the guts to stand up for myself until now. I'm so sorry I put you through that- today had just proved to me how wrong I was and how amazing you are. Never change, Phil."  
He looked at me in surprise as my mouth blurted out something else.  
"And if you ever need to think stuff through or you need somewhere to stay, you know where I am. You're welcome to stay with us for however long you want- my mum won't mind. She'll be happy to see I actually have some decent friends."  
Phil looked at me, and I was shocked to see the glistening unshod tears in his sapphire eyes.  
"That's… wow. Thank you, Dan."  
He struggled to find words, eventually throwing his arms round me. I smiled as I hugged him back gently, and waved as he broke away to walk down his path.  
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

**Phil's P.O.V**

MY amazing day was forgotten the minute I walked into the house.  
The first thing I saw was vomit stains on the carpet, and bottles were spread over the floor. The necks all pointed, almost accusingly, at where my mother was passed out in the corner, her skirt pulled up around her waist. I rolled my eyes. Looked like she'd got raging drunk and invited one of her "friends" round to celebrate. The sad thing was, she probably wouldn't even recall being taken advantage of. I put a soak on the stains and cleared the bottles away, dragging my mother onto the sofa and covering her up before heading moodily up to my room. I took better care of that woman than she had for me in all the two years she had known I was gay.  
I only had half an hour before prime time at the pub, and so I could only have a quick shower before I threw on a revealing flannel shirt and a pair of black skinnies and left in a hurry.  
There weren't many other whores at the pub tonight. A crowd of about five girls clustered in a mass next to the wall, laughing and sharing a bottle of Jack.  
"Hey, Phil!" I turned to them when one of the girls called my name, and walked over when she beckoned.  
"Who was that kid who came asking about you on Friday?"  
My heart leapt into my mouth and I just stared at Cassie.  
"What kid?"  
"The hot one. Brunette, brown eyes, really cute? He was wearing some kind of band shirt and black sweatpants… tall, skinny?"  
"Did he say his name?"  
She thought for a while, and then grimaced.  
"I can't remember what it was, Dave or Dai or something. Something beginning with D, I think."  
I felt my heart begin to palpitate.  
"Shit. Not… Dan?"  
"Yeah, that was it! "She smiled. "He took me out for a drink. Great guy."  
"What did you talk to him about?"  
"Uh, he kept asking questions. About you, actually."  
Shit.  
"So did you answer them?" I demanded, feeling myself start to panic.  
"Well, yeah, the guy bought me drinks, I had to pay him back."  
"Shit, shit, shit!" I paced back and forth, running my hand through my fringe in anxiety.  
"Why? What's the problem?" Her voice contained quite a lot of worry.  
"I've got to go." I muttered.  
"I haven't got you into a load of crap have I? Oh god, I'm so sorry-"  
"Don't worry about it. I just need to sort something out, I have enough cash to last for a while any way…"  
"Here." Cass reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of notes.  
"Cass, I can't take this. You need it more than me!" I protested as she curled my fingers around the notes.  
"Not after tonight. One of my big spenders is here." She smirked and winked at me before slinking over to a shady car. She leaned into the window and said something before walking around the car and sliding in, sending me a wave and a grin.  
I waited until the car pulled off, and then hurried back the way I came. I needed to get to Dan's and explain before anyone else found out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dan's P.O.V**

"Phil?"  
I stared at the panting boy in the doorway before dropping my controller and rushing over to him.  
"Are you… are you okay?" I checked him over frantically, looking for bruises on his face or blood soaking his clothes.  
"Why did you come after me last night?"  
His hair was wild and his eyes a frenzy of panic as he searched my face desperately.  
"I needed to know what was happening, Phil! Why didn't you tell anyone?"  
"I was coping! It was enough of an income to feed and clothe me, to pay the rent. It wasn't ideal, but it kept me off the streets!"  
"Pay rent? What do you mean?"  
"Mum… forgets. She forgets most things."  
"Is she ill?"  
He snorted humourlessly. "Sick in the head, maybe. All she cares about is drinking and men."  
I stared at him for a few moments before shaking my head sadly."  
"Doesn't it bother you, what you have to do?"  
"Really, the only thing that bothers me is that my own mother can't look past her own selfish needs and help me. It hurts when I get treated like dirt because of what I have to do to survive. What makes me most angry, though, is that I'm practically paying her to be a stupid slutty alcoholic while I have to go out and sell myself as a common whore."  
Tears welled in his eyes, and I carefully lead him to sit on my bed. Slinging an arm round his shoulders, I stayed silent and let him talk it out.

"She never really was much of a mother, though. She used to forget to pick me up from school daily, left me too cook for myself. My brother looked after me when she went out, and we would care for each other. Once he left home though…it was worse then. I was on my own, and she was getting worse."  
A tear rolled down his face, and I pulled him into my arms.  
"Don't cry." I whispered to him as I rocked him and let him bury his face into my shoulder, stroking the back of his midnight hair.  
He sniffled and reached up to wipe the tears away.  
"Why are you still being nice to me even though you know how disgusting I am?"  
"You aren't disgusting, Phil. You're an amazing guy who's been victim to some really shitty stuff in life, and you can't help that."  
He started to reply, but I interrupted him.  
"Phil, I don't want you to stay there any longer. Come and live here with me."

**Phil's P.O.V**

My mouth flopped open and I stared at the brunette.  
"Wh…what?"

He flopped back on his bed.  
"Come live with me. Mum won't mind, she always said our house is open to whoever needs it. And to be perfectly honest, you need it."  
"But… what about my mum?"  
"She can go fuck herself."  
My jaw flapped again as Dan waited for a reaction. When I said nothing, he sighed.  
"She doesn't deserve you. Sure, go check up on her, but you don't need to be there 24/7."  
"I guess…" I said slowly.  
"Good. Let me just go talk to mum about it, and then we can get your stuff."  
Dan grinned happily and pattered out of the room. I heard hushed voices, and light footsteps again.  
"She says to go get your stuff. You can stay in the guest room- it's all made up."  
"Wow….thank you so much. I can't believe you're doing this for me."  
"That's what friends do, right? Anyway, I checked and she said not to worry about rent or anything. Said someone at our age shouldn't be worrying about working to keep a roof over our heads.  
"I feel bad, taking advantage like this…"  
"Let's be honest, you've spent your whole teen years with people taking advantage of you, so it's time you got something good. Besides, my mum loves having people stay. She'll treat you like a son."  
"I don't know what to say…"  
"Then don't say anything." He smiled at me.  
"C'mon, let's go get your things."  
**  
Dan's P.O.V**

I could see how nervous Phil was as he unlocked the front door with shaking hands. As the door swung open with a loud creak, I glimpsed a load of broken glass littering the floor. When that was done, he cleaned up a pool of vomit from the carpet and hovered.  
"You do this every day?"  
"I have to, to stop it getting even worse."  
"Where's your mum?"  
"Either out, or asleep. Or both." He added as an afterthought.  
"Do you care?"  
He stopped cleaning to look at me, his eyes shining with honesty.  
"Not really."  
It took less than five minutes for Phil to pack his essentials into a beaten old rucksack, and I watched curiously as he began to feel around under his mattress.  
"What are you doing?"  
He didn't answer, and instead pulled his mattress out of the way to reveal bundles of cash. Looking at it, there appeared to be around four hundred pounds in total, all in notes.  
Phil caught me staring.  
"Safe money for a rainy day." He muttered, his eyes cast to the ground. I realized it wasn't the money he was ashamed of, it was how he had earned it.  
"Phil, you don't need to worry. You won't need to pay for anything."  
"I can't help but worry, though. It's always habit to always have back up money for me, just in case."  
"Well, you don't have to worry anymore." He looked surprised, and then smiled tentatively at me.  
"Are you done?"  
He looked down at his rucksack, and nodded.  
"I think so."

**Phil's P.O.V**

****After I scrawled out a note, we headed back over to find Dan's mum had made up the spare bed in our absence, and as Dan showed me in she bustled past and shot me a friendly smile.  
"Phil, I presume?"  
I smiled shyly at her and nodded."  
"It's lovely to meet you, honey. You're welcome to stay here as long as necessary."  
"Thank you so much, Mrs Howell."  
"It's perfectly alright, sweetheart. It's nice for Danny to have some company for a change, other than Adrian that is."  
"Adrian?" I wondered if that was Dan's dad.  
"Oh, my other son- Dan's brother. You'll know him when you meet him- he's currently going through his little shit phase."  
She rolled her eyes fondly, and I laughed. I liked Dan's mother- she genuinely seemed happy for me to be staying with them and didn't make me feel awkward about it at all.  
"Anyway my love, I'll leave you to it. I imagine this is all very odd for you, what with a sudden change in living."  
"Okay. Thank you so much again. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."  
She beamed widely at me.  
"My pleasure, sunshine. Oh, and the kitchen is the first door on the left. Help yourself to whatever." She smiled again, and I was pleasantly surprised when she pulled me in for a quick motherly hug.  
So that was what it was like to have a mum who cared about you.  
After she had gone off back down the stairs, I turned into my room and gazed around. It was large, with a window seat and heavy red curtains framing the view over the garden. The walls were a bright white, and a plush red carpet covered the floor. The bed sat in the centre of the room against the back wall, and a wooden wardrobe stretched from wall to wall of the opposing side of the room.  
"What do you think?"  
Dan's voice made me jump, and I swung round to see him sprawled across a red beanbag.  
"It's beautiful."  
It really was. It was a far cry from my old room, with it's stained beige carpet, orange walls, mattress and broken drawers. The only thing I had liked there was my Buffy poster I had pulled out of a dumpster.  
"There aren't any rules, only that you keep it clean and tidy. This is your domain now, so my mum doesn't want to invade your privacy by poking around and cleaning, so that will be your job. Your bathroom is in here," he got up and opened a door, revealing an en suite. I felt my jaw drop.  
"I have an en suite?"  
"Yep. My parents got our house done up a few years ago and added en suites to the guest room and their own room. My brother and I share the other bathroom, but I generally use this one- it's closer to my own room."  
"I thought these houses were only three bedrooms?"  
"They are. My brother has an attic room that we fought over, but we finally negotiated for it to be split into a room for him and a sort of study/lounge for me. It's pretty neat, you want to see?"  
"Ah, hell yes!"  
Dan led me up the stairs into a narrow hall with a door on both sides and a pot plant at the end. Light flooded in through a skylight in the roof.  
One door was virtually completely covered by a Green Day poster, whereas the other had a plaque saying "I'm not interested, leave me alone."  
Underneath the font, it said in smaller writing- "(unless you're offering food, money or other goods)"  
I rolled my eyes and snorted. That was so typically Dan, it practically screamed his name. I noticed it had a lock when he pulled a key on a chain around his neck and unlocked the room. The door swung open, and I walked into what was probably the nicest room ever.

A black leather coach was against one of the walls, next to a matching armchair. On the wall opposite a flat screen TV domineered, along with an Xbox, Wii and Playstation. A massive rack of games hung over the top. Huge speakers were placed on either side, and a small desk fitted perfectly into the corner.  
The walls were white and a fluffy black rug covered a large proportion of the pine floorboards, although the things that really gave the room character were the touches of Dan's personality. A bookshelf had been put up on the wall, overflowing with well-read, tatty books, along with jaunty prints. A purple hoodie was slung across the armchair, and I saw a laptop and iPod dock on top of the desk. A mini-fridge was tucked underneath the desk next to the office chair. There was even a pile of shoes taking up residency in the corner.  
"Wow." I breathed, staring around the room.  
"Do you like it?"  
"It's amazing!"  
He grinned proudly. "It did it all myself, furniture and everything."  
"Really? How'd you afford it all?"  
"Mum was getting rid of the old sofa and armchair so she gave me those, and the rest I found on eBay on Gumtree. It's amazing what you find if you look hard enough. It's taken me a year to complete, but it was worth it. The sofa even pulls out into a bed so if relatives stay and my room and the guest one is needed too, I can sleep here."  
"Why don't they sleep in this room instead?"  
"This is my private room- that's why I've got the lock on my door. I generally don't let anyone in, because this is where I'm allowed to be myself without any judgment."  
"It's incredible."  
He flushed with pleasure and rubbed his neck modestly.  
"Thanks."  
I let myself wander around the room, going to peer at the books first. Books such as Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, the Darren Shan saga and even Harry Potter crowded the shelves as I examined the spines with interest. Resting on a pile of paper on the desk was a black Muse notebook. I picked it up and flipped it over in my hands, turning to Dan."  
"What's this?"  
Dan flushed a deep rose and took the notebook.  
"Oh, that's just a diary. Nothing interesting."  
"Can I… Can I see?"  
Dan looked warily at me for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Not yet. Maybe soon."  
We stood for a moment in silence before Dan's head shot up.  
"Oh, that reminds me."  
He crossed the room to his desk, where he bent and pulled something out from underneath.  
"This is yours."  
I looked down at the familiar soft red fabric, and turned it. The Green Day "Puzzle Girl" design caught my eye as I found myself staring at my favourite hoodie, the one taken by Joe on the coldest day of the year just before Dan joined the college.  
I beamed at the sweatshirt before looking up.  
"How did you get this?"  
He shrugged.  
"Went round Joe's not that long ago. I saw it and said I didn't expect him to like Green Day, and he said "Oh, it isn't mine. It's that fags. I'm keeping it… safe for him." I said if he wanted me to I could take it and give it to my brother. He was more than happy to be rid of it."  
"Well, thanks. I never thought I'd see this hoodie again."  
He grinned uncomfortably and shuffled.  
"So, do you want to play a game or something?"  
I went over to look at his collection of games, scanning them until I saw one that made me laugh suddenly.  
"What? What is it?"  
Dan was by me in an instant.  
"You have Crash Bandicoot. Jeez, I love that game. I played it all the time before I had to sell my play station. Mum ruined the disk anyway- used it as a coaster for her all important vodka."  
"Do you want to play?"  
"Sure."

**Dan's P.O.V**

Phil was great and everything, but also incredibly distracting when it came to video games.  
"What's a baby walrus called?" He wandered as I made Crash narrowly avoid being crushed.  
I ignored him, but he didn't give up.  
"It's got to be something pretty cool… I mean, how cool is a baby walrus?"  
Crash only just escaped falling down a hole.  
"Maybe a walrette?"  
Game Over.  
"For Jesus Christ, Phil!"  
I threw down the remote and leapt on him, pinning him to the sofa and pretending to whack him before tickling his ribs mercilessly. He squealed in laughter and curled inwards to try to escape. There was no way he was getting away so easily, and so I swiftly pushed his shoulders back into the back cushion. He threw his head back as he roared, and his phthalo eyes silently begged me to stop tickling him as they twinkled, cheeks flushed with excitement and his hair a complete mess.

**Phil's P.O.V**

I wheezed with laughter as Dan pinned me to the sofa and tickled me relentlessly.

"Mercy!" I spluttered between screeches as his fingers scrabbled at my sides, and automatically curled inwards in a futile attempt to escape. Dan's caramel eyes twinkled at me as he pinned my shoulders down, and I suddenly realized what a compromising position we were in. I was pushed back into the sofa, and Dan was practically lying on me as he held me down. His eyelashes fluttered as he laughed, and I felt my eyelids grow heavier as his face dropped down further. For a moment I almost believed he was going to kiss me. My heart sped up, but then he blinked and looked away and I felt my heart sink- it was stupid, why would a straight guy want to kiss me?

**Dan's P.O.V**

I watched Phil almost in a trance as I sat over him, noting absent-mindedly how his breathing became sharper and how his pupils dilated. I only became aware of how close my head had stooped to his when I felt his warm breath ruffle my hair, and snapped out of my gaze to look away quickly.  
A sharp rap sounded on the door, and I quickly scrambled to open it. What was this weird feeling whenever I looked at Phil? It didn't make any sense…..

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been ridiculously busy these last few weeks, and I'm trying to get SIN finished as well so I can focus on this one. Anyway, as usual if you liked it it would be great if you could your thang (AKA following/leave a comment :) )


	4. Chapter 4

**Phil's P.O.V**

It was amazing how quickly my life improved after moving in with the Howells. I was no longer the lonely one at school; Dan stuck by me, and even protected me from being beaten into a pulp. I came home to a warm, caring family who treated me like a third son and showered me with overwhelming kindness. Even Adrian, Dan's little brother, came out of his cave now and then to talk about bands and play video games with me- something that, Dan's parents said, didn't happen often before.  
No longer did I have to go out working to keep myself alive, as the only thing I paid for now was personal stuff like clothing. I had offered to pay rent and for food as I felt bad about taking advantage, but Dan's mother wouldn't hear of it.  
"Phil sweetheart, thank you, but you're too young to be thinking about how you're going to pay rent. It's okay, we have plenty of money; we're happy to help you!"  
I noticed a difference in myself too; my eyes brightened back to their familiar blue, I stopped looking so pale and the red lines on my wrists and thighs faded to purple, to pink, to white. I could see the pride in Dan's eyes when he routinely checked the areas, and how his face lit up when he saw how well they were healing.  
He seemed happier too, even though he had become an outcast at school. We spent a large amount of time sat in his attic room, playing on the PS2 and being massive dorks. One weekend, we practically barricaded ourselves into the room with a mountain of junk food, enough soda and energy drink to fill a paddling pool and the complete collection of Death Note on DVD. By the end of the marathon, we were both exhausted and looked like complete shit; it was the best fun I'd ever had.

**Dan's P.O.V**

Two months flew by unbelievably quickly, and the changes in my attitude and behavior shocked not only everyone I knew but myself as well. My grades soared, along with my self-esteem and confidence, and my hatred plummeted. It felt good knowing that whenever I was with Phil I was around someone I could trust with all my heart, as much as they trusted me back. I almost couldn't believe how he had just forgiven me for the person I was acting like only a few months before, but that was Phil; it was like he was so relieved to find someone who didn't treat him like shit anymore that he had completely forgiven me my sins. It was almost like it never happened; it never came up in discussion and I intended to keep it that way.  
Oddly, school became easier. People started accepting Phil now I had showed there was more to the boy than homosexuality and swoopy black hair. I, obviously, had practically committed social suicide when I stood up to Joe, although I was not discovering a sort of new fangled respect for me in the other students.  
I was currently sat on the sofa, engaged in a furious game of Mario Kart against Phil before we left for school. He was shockingly bad at games like this, and by this stage I had won fourteen times solid.  
"Face it Phil, You're not going to win! You're a lap behind me; I'm going to beat you again."  
Phil whined and threw down his controller as I crossed the finish line, ending the game.  
"It's not fair, you cheated!"  
I rolled my eyes at how sore a loser he was.  
"Phil, there is literally no way I could've cheated there. You're just horrifically bad at this game."  
"Whatever." Phil stuck his tongue out at me and I laughed.

***  
"Okay, I've got one. Screw marry kill… Sarah Jessica Parker, Megan Foxx or Nikki Minaj?"  
I rolled my eyes at Phil's rubbish suggestion, and considered the choices.  
"Kill Nikki, screw Megan and marry Sarah. What about you?"  
"Same. Jeez, Sarah confuses my sexuality."  
"Um… screw marry kill Matt Bellamy, Gerard Way or Patrick Stump?"  
"Screw Gerard, marry Matt and kill Patrick. You?"  
"You would marry Matt?"  
"Hell yes! He could write me songs."  
"Aww." I teased him, and he flushed.  
"What about… Hayley Williams, Billie Joe Armstrong or L from Death Note?  
"Kill Billie, fuck L and marry Hayley. She'd be great fun to have as a wife, and not just because she's gorgeous."  
We played the game all the way to college, our suggestions throwing us into hysterics as they became more and more ludicrous.

**Phil's P.O.V**

As usual at lunch the café was bursting with people by the time we got to it, and so we quickly decided to eat outside. The menu today was grim; I pulled a face at my chicken and hummus wrap, that looked like it had spent quite a long time sat out. Dan had gone for a ham and cheese pita that smelt suspiciously fishy.  
We had previously discovered the best place to eat was in a little clearing in the centre of the small copse on campus/ where we could spread our hoodies over the ground and sit down like a little picnic.  
"Did you get any coursework this morning?"  
Dan had a pile of books in front of him, and I caught a glimpse of wild frenzy in his eyes as he flicked through one in search of a formula.  
"No, what about you?"  
He groaned and chucked the book to the floor in despair.  
"So much! I can't believe taking all of these subjects would be a good idea. I was supposed to write something up for Biology today and completely forgot; I don't even know what I'll need Biology for in life anyway!"  
"Yeah well, I guess it's worth studying now."  
I grinned at him as he groaned and took a sneaky look at the work.  
"Oh, the answer is amino acids by the way."  
Dan whined and rubbed his forehead.  
"How did you even know that? You didn't take Biology!"  
"I, uh, learned that at GCSE?"  
He rolled his eyes and exhaled in frustration.  
"God, I'm so stupid."  
"You're under a hell of a lot of stress, Dan. I still think you should drop a subject; at least that would reduce your workload."  
"That's easy for you to say. You know you're going to get As; I'm pretty sure I'm going to get Cs in everything, so I need more qualifications to get into Uni."  
"Dan, if you dropped a subject you might have more time to study. I might be stupid, but surely that means you could get a higher mark on the subjects left over!"  
I noticed Dan wasn't listening anymore, instead looking up with a startled look on his face. His eyes were wide and confusion was apparent in his expression.  
Quickly, I glanced behind myself and almost freaked out as I caught sight of a figure behind me. My first thought was to run away as fast as possible, but twisting around further proved to me that wasn't necessary.  
"Peej?"  
I stared at the dark haired boy as his eyes bored a hole in Dan.  
"Peej, what are you doing here?"  
"Thought I'd come see my friend. Guess he doesn't want me here, though."  
"Pj, don't be stupid! Come sit down; how are you?"  
"Would have been better if one of my best friends hadn't been blanking me for the last two months. How about you? You look well."  
"Yeah, I'm…. great, thanks. Look, I'm really sorry. I've had other things crammed into my mind these last few months. I didn't mean to blank you… Jeez, Pj, I'm sorry."  
Pj's hard mask cracked, and his face melted into a tentative smile.  
"It's okay, Phil. Sorry for being a bitch."  
"No, I know what you mean. I'm sorry.  
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Dan shuffled awkwardly.  
"So, Dan, how are you doing?"  
Peej turned his startling green eyes back to Dan again; Dan almost fell backwards in surprise.  
"Uh, I'm great thanks."  
"Good." Pj chuckled softly and settled himself quietly on the ground next to me, slinging his backpack onto his lap and sticking his arm inside.  
Both Dan and I watched, interested, as he rooted around for a few moments before his arm reemerged with a pot of pasta and a bottle of coke.  
"So Phil, Dan." We both smiled as he addressed us, now casually digging into his pasta pot.  
"Anything happened since Phil and I last talked?"  
I could remember exactly the last time I had a conversation with him; the evening when we went out for a drink after he saw me in the liquor store. A pang of guilt echoed through me as I realized how long ago that was.

**Pj's P.O.V**

It felt bizarre to be sat here between my best friend and his tormentor like it was an everyday occurrence, yet here I was.  
It felt wrong; the last time I had spoken to Phil, he talked about how much he hated the boys that hurt him, although I guess he never actually mentioned Dan's name.  
Dan seemed nervous, fidgeting and playing with his hair. He kept sending me anxious looks between gazing at Phil almost protectively, as if to make sure he was okay. I could see the obvious adoration in his eyes, and it surprised me; I knew they had become close, but I hadn't appreciated they were practically best friends. Dan was obviously protective of Phil, and it relieved me knowing that he had someone to look after him.  
I had been sat with the boys before the way Phil was looking at Dan registered with me. It was the same way he used to look at Charlie; blue eye fuzzy and wide, cheeks flushed and an almost permanent grin fixed to his face. I could practically see his pulse beating out of time in his chest. My heart churned- as much as I loved Phil like a brother and although I wanted him to be happy, I had seen the bruises that Dan had inflicted on Phil over the months, and I didn't want to experience that again. He didn't_ look_ like he was capable of hurting a fly, with his fluffy hair, childish dimples and wide caramel eyes, but I didn't know if I could trust him enough to look after my friend.

On the other hand, the way Dan looked at Phil made me believe what he had said about changing was true. I could blatantly see the adoration in his eyes when he looked at him in return, and I was even a little surprise to find myself basking in what felt like a hint of fondness for the boy and how well he had looked out of Phil for me. There was no denying that Phil looked a hell of a lot happier then I had ever seen him; it occurred to me that perhaps I had seen Dan in completely the wrong light and that he may have been exactly what Phil needed. He seemed a lot more relaxed, and I noticed with surprise that he'd even had his hair cut and styled.  
It was weird spending the day with the two. Having Phil back felt great, and I even found a part of myself opening up to Dan as well. It may have been nervousness that made him talk to me sweetly and tentatively, but either way he came across as being awkward and shy, but with a cracking sense of humour.

**Phil's P.O.V**

"Ugh, can we stop walking?"  
Dan made a face as we walked across the common. I turned to shake my head at the boy dragging his feet with an amused smirk.  
"I honestly do not understand how you're so great at taekwondo, but then you're also shittily unfit." "Because I'm actually pretty shit at taekwondo too!"  
I heard Pj stifle a snigger and guessed he must have watched Dan in the corridor against Joe; "Shit" is not a word I would use to describe how he had defended us.

"Whatever, I'm done." Dan suddenly stopped and slumped down into the shining grass, refusing to clamber to his feet.  
"Save yourselves, go on without me."  
In the end we gave up pestering him and dropped to the grass on either side.  
"Pretty nice day, considering you're a lazy little shit," I heard Peej tell Dan, and suppressed a chuckle from where I was lying on the ground with my eyes shut. He was right; the sun was beaming down and I could feel my albino skin beginning to frizzle.  
"Oh hey, look how pink Phil is. I guess we better get out of the sun, or we'll have to start calling him Dr. Zoidburg. "  
I stretched like a cat and drowsily opened my eyes, and freaked out as my eyes focused on Dan's face hovering about two inches above me.  
"Holy shit!" I gasped, feeling my heart thud in shock. Dan's warm brown eyes twinkled down at me, filled with laughter, and I felt my stomach flip again; I looked away before the feeling erupted out of my chest and made me explode into a million rainbow butterflies. Dan sat up and looked mildly uncomfortable too for a moment, before his eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face.  
"Hey, it's Friday, right? Let's get drunk!"

A/N: Hello friends I'm sorry it's been five million years since I last updated but I've had an exam and loads of coursework and then my laptop broke and then when I got it back it had been wiped so I lost all of my work! Anyway, it's back now and I'm going to start trying to update as much as possible now I don't have as much to do when I'm not writing SIN. This chapter seems really bad, idk but this is what I came up with for now. Anyway, toodle pip and let me know what you think in the comments, and maybe follow if you liked it! Thanks c:


	5. Chapter 5

**Phil's P.O.V**

We went back to Pj's; his mum was out until late at work so the house was completely empty. Within seconds, he had grabbed a few bottles of vodka from his room, hidden well always at the back of his wardrobe. As he fished them out, a satisfied smirk spread over his face and he swung around, holding the glass bottles.  
"We gonna stay here or go somewhere else?"  
"Uh, how about the woods round back? That way, mum won't catch me and find the vodka."  
We all agreed and set off into the shady woods. Within a matter of minutes we had found ourselves in a spacious clearing where Pj set the bottles down carefully and flung himself next to them.  
"Want to play Never Have I Ever?"  
"Sure! Do you have shot glasses?"  
Pj smirked again, and lifted his hand. Inside were three tiny shot glasses.  
"Alright!"

**Dan's P.O.V**

"Never have I ever… sexted another guy!" Peej hiccupped triumphantly and fell off his seat backwards.  
Without making eye contact, I quickly shot back my glass and shuddered; glancing across at Phil, I was surprised to see him sharing the same expression, telling me he had taken his own shot.  
Phil stopped grimacing to consider again.  
"Never have I ever… had sex with a girl." He smirked as both Peej and I knocked back another shot, pulling mutual expressions of disgust at the strong liquid.  
"Dan, you're going to be so drunk by the end of this." Phil laughed and shook his head fondly at me while my head span.  
"Shut up. Never have I ever… dated my best friend."  
Only Peej this time. For a moment, I imagined I locked eyes with Phil, but then the moment sped by and I looked at the floor.

**Phil's P.O.V**

It goes without saying that a few hours later, all three of us were roaring drunk and practically falling over every time we tried to stand. "You know I love you guys, right? Right?!" I heard myself slur, and felt a goofy grin spread across my face. "We know, Phil. We love you too."  
Peej stumbled to his house shortly after, and after he had left we staggered, still giggling and tripping, back to Dan's house. It transpired that his parents had gone out with his brother to visit relatives, so we traipsed up to his attic room and collapsed onto his sofa.  
"Hey Phil?" I heard Dan slur next to me, and I turned to face him with a goofy smile plastered on my features.  
"Yeah Danny?"  
"You're the best friend ever, I love you dude." He slurred as he fell forward of the sofa and lay on the floor, shaking with hysterical laughter.  
"You too."  
Dan eventually peeled himself off the floor and crawled back towards the couch. My eyes widened as he pulled himself up, and instead of sitting opposite me crawled on top of me and fell again, his laughter shaking me. "Uh... Dan?"  
"Yeah?" He smiled up at me with an adorable expression, and expecting him to speak I leaned closer to him. He shuffled forward and tilted his head, and before I could realize what was happening his lips were on mine.  
I may have been completely drunk out of my mind, but in that moment I felt soberer than ever.  
"Dan... What are you...?"  
"Shhh, Phillip!" He giggled and ran his hand down my chest, leaning back in to kiss me again.  
"Dan, you're drunk. You don't really want to kiss me- you're not even gay, remember?" As much as I hated the words, I forced them out anyway, and watched his face fall with an ache in my chest.  
"You don't want me?"  
"No! I mean yes, I mean... Yes, I am attracted to you and I do as you say "want" you, but I am not going to take advantage of you. You like girls, remember? I'm a guy."  
Dan crawled off me and sat at the end of the sofa with a dejected look on his face.  
"You'll have sex with all of those men, but not with me?"  
"Dan, those men pay me. I don't care about them, they don't care about me. All they want is the content of my pants and all I want is the content of their wallet. I care about you, and I know that if you were sober you wouldn't want this. Go to sleep, and we'll talk about this in the morning, ok?" After a bit more convincing, Dan slid down the sofa and drifted into a deep, alcohol laced sleep.

Dan's P.O.V  
"Jesus fucking Christ." I mumbled as I woke up with a throbbing headache, sitting up and clasping a hand to my banging forehead. "What the hell happened?"  
"Morning, sleeping beauty." I turned to see Phil sat next to me, for some reason in my attic room.  
"Mmgghh, I feel like crap."  
Phil chuckled. "Yep, that would be the vast quantity of alcohol you ingested yesterday."  
"Oh yeah," I remembered the after school activity.  
"Dan, we need to talk about last night."  
Phil's voice had gone deep and solemn, and when I peeked at his face I saw the same look of formality. I panicked.  
"Oh my god, what did I do? Did I break something? Did we...?" I gestured between the two of us and he shook his head.  
"No. Well, if you had had your way... But anyway, basically, when you were drunk, you... Tried it on with me, shall we say?"  
"And... You turned me down?"  
"Yes. You were drunk... It would have been wrong to take advantage of your situation- even if it was difficult."  
I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment. "Oh my god Phil, I'm so sorry. Ugh, that's so embarrassing..."  
Memories of the previous evening begun to flood back in a mortifying tidal wave of humiliation. I cringed at the flashes of encouraging Phil to sleep with me, my hands all over him and pressing my lips to his. I...kissed him? Oh god, poor Phil.  
"It did confuse me, but I guess you're a pervy drunk," I heard him saying, chuckling a little. "To be fair, you weren't too bad... Just ridiculously frustrating. I'm used to the guys all over me at least being gay, for a start; guess I should be flattered that I was attractive at least for a little whole to a drunken straight guy."

He was obviously babbling to make me feel better about my situation, but it didn't really do much for my mortification. "Hey Dan? Look, it's okay, you don't need to be embarrassed... It's not a problem. I know you're straight, I know you didn't mean anything by it. Stop panicking about it, seriously."

"Phil... I guess it's probably about time to tell you this... That's not really that odd behavior for me."

"What?" He sounded so confused that I had to bite back a smile. I peered up over my hands and took a deep breath, looking straight at him. "Kissing boys. I'm bi, Phil."

Phil's P.O.V

I blinked at Dan.

"Wow, Dan."

"I can't believe you didn't guess that, but sure... Yep, I've been wanting to tell you for a while but I wasn't sure how."

"So does this mean..."

"Yeah, I do like you. That's why I kissed you yesterday; you know what people say, when you're drunk you're more likely to do things you've wanted to do."

"You like me?"

"Yeah. Oh my god, this is so embarrassing."

"No, I like you too! I've thought you were 100% straight for all this time, and then you tell me this? Is this why you were so defensive when the others dissed homosexuality the last time?"

Dan hesitated, and then nodded.

"I guess I'd hid it for too long. I kind of just snapped, and put myself in your shoes, and our situation was too close to ignore."

Slowly, I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Jesus, we're complicated."

"Damn right."

I opened my eyes and looked back at him, hesitating briefly before leaning slowly towards him. Almost subconsciously, he followed my lead. My lips eventually fluttered onto his, where a bolt of electricity seemed to jolt through me as my body immediately tried to get him as close to me as possible. With a shudder of exhilaration, I felt him respond and his lips fall into pattern with mine as his arms twined around my neck and into my hair. The added pressure pulled us closer together and increased the intensity of the kiss. A sudden rattle at the door made u spring apart, red faced and panting from the lack of oxygen. Dan went over and unbolted the door; I noticed with satisfaction the slight wobble in his walk. I couldn't help but admire his slim lanky physique as he bent to pull the handle to reveal Dan's brother. Adrian stormed in and grabbed a disc off the desk, breaking his grumpy teen play to send me a huge grin and a "Hi Phil!" Before he disappeared back across the landing into his room.

"Fucking Aid, ruining everything." I heard Dan murmur before he shut the door and came to sit back next to me.

"So, if you like me and I like you...wanna... Give it a go?"

Dan stuttered out, dropping his eyes awkwardly to the floor.

"Yes! I mean, sure..." I tried to calm down my enthusiasm.

"Great! So this is...?" He gestured between us and I nodded, smile stretching my face. He practically threw himself at me, throwing his arms around my shoulders and smiling against my lips.

I responded, hardly believing that the gorgeous boy pressed against me was mine. We kissed languidly and fooled around for the next hour, until we heard Dan's mum calling us.  
I looked at him silently, wondering if he had even thought about if he was going to tell her and his family or not. He turned and saw me looking at him, a half smile cracking on his lips.  
"Phil… do you want my family to know? I understand if you don't, but I think it would be best. It means we don't have to sneak around, but I get it if it would make you uncomfortable."  
"No, Dan, I think we should tell them. I agree." He looked at me, surprised, and his face split into a grin.  
"Alright!"  
"DAN! PHIL!"

We chuckled at the sound of Dan's mum getting more frustrated when we didn't show up, and he stood, offering me his hand.  
"Want to get it done with now?"  
I felt a knot of anxiety curl in my stomach, before I pushed it down and smiled back at him.  
"Sure!"

**Dan's P.O.V**

We walked together down the stairs, turning to look at each other before he linked his hand with mine and pulled me towards the kitchen where we could hear Dan's mum singing.  
"Mum?"  
"Yes, sweetie?"  
"We've got something to tell you. Me and Phil, we're… dating."  
His mum turned, her face splitting into a massive grin.  
"Finally!"  
Phil and I turned to each other, matching expressions of shock at her reaction.  
"Adrian! Get in here with your father!"  
The two men traipsed in, looking confused.  
"Pay up! I was right, shows how much you know."  
They both moaned and reached into their pockets, grumpily both handing over a tenner. Looking very smug, she tucked it safe inside her apron as both me and Dan looked on in confusion.  
"What?" She noticed us staring with a smirk. "Might as well make some money out of it. Just promise me you'll look after each other, that's all I ask. And no sex while your family is in the house, Daniel," She added, sending him a stern look. He groaned in mortification and buried his face in his hands.  
"Muuuuummmmm…"  
She sent him an angelic smile. "Well, I know what you teens are like. And be safe!"  
"Mum, stop it! We've only just started dating!"  
"Well, if you're not ready to talk about it, you're not ready to do it."  
"You're so embarrassing!"  
"Just be grateful Phil can't get pregnant, dear. Think about what it's going to be like for poor Aidy when he brings his first girlfriend home."  
"I am never, EVER bringing a girlfriend home if this is what you're like." Adrian muttered as he shuffled into the kitchen, walking straight to the fridge and grabbing a milkshake.  
"Adrian, that's your third today! And you will, if you don't want me tracking her down and showing her your baby photos."  
"Muuummmm!" Adrian and I chorused.  
"Just doing my job, boys. Anyway, here's your food, now bugger off before you mess up my beautiful kitchen. Go!"  
She gave me a gentle shove towards the door and I went to escape, but got caught in a group hug between Phil and my mum.  
"I'm proud of you two."  
She ruffled both of our hair and tapped us in the direction towards the hall again, where we both scampered before she could get any more embarrassing.  
"Well, that went better than I thought it would."

"She ships us way too hard; I swear that's not normal."  
**  
Phil's P.O.V**

***two days later***

"C'mon, we're going to be late!"

I heard Dan's voice, and moaned sleepily.  
"Five more minutes!"  
Within a second, I felt him tugging on my arm.  
"No, you lazy arse, we literally need to go now! You're gonna have to get dressed really quickly, we've got music in twenty minutes! Get your hot ass out of that bed before I get mum in here!"  
At that my eyes shot open, and I practically flipped out of bed.  
"Jesus Christ!"

Five minutes later we set out of the door. Still rubbing sleep from my eyes, I couldn't see where I was going and tripped over the front porch, going flying and landing on the hard concrete.  
"Ow!"  
"Phil!"  
Dan immediately rushed over, lifting my head from where I was sprawled on my front and turning me.  
"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?"  
I pointed to my knee. He bent and kissed it, trying to make it feel better.  
"Anywhere else?"  
I lifted my grazed hand, and he repeated the action.

"Is that it?"  
Smirking, I pointed to my lips. He rolled his eyes and leaned forward with a wicked grin, kissing me softly and almost taking my breath away.  
"You cheeky git." He muttered as he pulled away, smiling and dragging me up with him. His fingers curled around mine, and I looked up in surprise. I had thought he would want to keep our relationship secret, but there he was clasping my hand. He noticed my look of confusion and smirked.  
"What? Thought I should anchor you so you don't go fine ass over tit again."  
I rolled my eyes. "But what about the others? Aren't you worried about them seeing us like this?"  
"Nah. It's not my fault if they can't handle how goddamn perfect we are."  
"Ready to see their faces?"  
Smiling widely, he tightened his grip on my hand."  
"So ready."

**AN:** **I've only just realized how long it's been since I last updated! Anyway, I'm not going to excuse it because it literally is just laziness, but I hope you enjoy and I'll attempt to update soon! As usual, I'd appreciate feedback and even a follow if you liked it! 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Dan's P.O.V**

The day seemed to pass ridiculously slowly at school. My hand, clasped securely with Phil's, felt clammy with nerves- not that Phil seemed to notice. He seemed like he was floating along on cloud nine, the huge grin seemingly permanently stapled to his face. We got our fair share of confused and disbelieving looks, as well as ones that practically screamed "I KNEW IT!" along with some sniggers from the usual suspects. As we passed the sports block, I thought I heard Joe mutter "faggots" and then laugh, but after I eyeballed him he fell silent. Finally, lunch rolled around and we both collapsed into our usual spots with simultaneous sighs. We were promptly joined by PJ and his friend Finn, who both smirked knowingly at the way we sat, Phil's legs slung over my lap and my hand resting on his knee. They both swung their backs off their shoulders and slumped to the floor, already chatting about some video game. I nodded distractedly, focusing my attentions without meaning to on Phil. He was listening to the other two intently, contributing and laughing at regular intervals- as he giggled, I took in how his tongue poked adorably out of the corner of his mouth

Forgetting the others sat right next to us, or maybe just not caring at all, I leaned over slowly to where Phil sat and turned his chin towards me, pressing my mouth to his an wrapping my arms firmly around his neck. Phil hesitated for a second in surprise and then responded enthusiastically, practically throwing himself into my arms. My hair fell like a few inches of heavy curtain, partially obstructing our faces. I heard Finn and PJ shuffle awkwardly, before excusing themselves and practically sprinting away.

**Phil's P.O.V **

I couldn't take enough of the boy in, feeling glad that PJ and Finn had left and praying to god no one else would stumble upon us. The boy beneath my lips sighed into the kiss, and I smiled and pulled him closer. I could only imagine what we looked like; hair mussed, eyes cloudy and heavy, lust filled sighs tumbling from our lips at regular intervals. Just when I was getting really into the kiss, tangling my fingers into Dan's silky locks and shifting further onto his lap, his alarm began its pitifully annoying squeaking that signified we needed to get moving to our next class. At the same time, both rolled our eyes and groaned.

As we crashed through the door that evening, I noticed how quiet the house was. There were no gentle murmurs as Dan's parents talked together, the TV had been muted and from what I could hear Adrian didn't seem to be blasting his music at full volume. It seemed odd without the usual vibrant feel that the family bought, but when Dan grabbed my hand and pulled me to him to kiss me sweetly and gently, I was more than a little relieved that his parents weren't there to see the deep flush in my cheeks.

Dan pulled me into the deserted kitchen where he scrawled out a note for his mum telling her we were having a "sleep over" in the attic bedroom, and that we had plenty of food; I watched in amusement as Dan wrote carefully and then swore as his hand dragged over the drying ink, smudging it. Seeing my expression and barely suppressed laughter at his frustration, he shrugged and looked at the paper. "Well, she should be good at decoding my smudges after all this time. C'mon, let's go." On the way we grabbed a few bags of Doritos, a six pack of beer and a large assortment of snacks to keep us going throughout the night. I considered going and grabbing my pajamas from my room, but as it wasn't even dark yet and, besides, we weren't going to sleep much anyway, I decided against it. I could always sleep in my boxers.

As soon as we arrived in the luxurious attic room, Dan gestured for me to wait by the door and yanked the underside of his couch, letting it fold out and transform into a wide double bed. He covered the black leather seats/mattress with a sheet and some thick blankets, along with large squishy pillows and duvets galore. He turned to me with a grin on his face and cocked his finger, silently telling me to join him in the fort. As I kicked off my shoes and leapt into the glorious squashiness, he squealed with delight and grabbed me, pulling myself down and snuggling into me.

**Dan's P.O.V **

The dark room flickered with reflected light as the film on tv came to an end, rolling into the credits. I sighed contentedly from where I lay, curled into Phil's warm side, and pressed closer discreetly to absorb even more warmth. His chest vibrated as he chuckled, and I felt his lips press into the top of my head. His sweet raspberry-like smell filled my senses and made me delirious, and I couldn't help but resist twisting to give him a long, sweet kiss. A gasp slid from my lips as he deepened the kiss, tilting back my head and splaying his hands wider over where they rested on my back. He had an unfair advantage when kissing; he knew exactly what sort of things would give me goose bumps and what to do to make me fall apart in his arms, whereas I, with my limited experience of male relations, explored everything with a more hesitant approach. The sweet, innocent looking boy unraveled to reveal a naughtily confident yet frustrating tease when we kissed like this, and as he heightened all of my senses it became slightly clearer why he was such a valued prostitute.

Sure enough, I could feel his excitement in a few minutes as he arched into me, and my eyes widened in surprise. It seemed totally preposterous that I could turn this beautiful, amazing boy on when I was just, well, me.

Our kissing reached a new peak of desperation and I restrained myself from grinding into him, shooting away from his form suddenly as a sharp rap on the door alerted me to my mother, stood outside and wanting to talk to me. Awkwardly, I looked to make sure my jeans hasn't betrayed what we were up to and stood, opening the door and poking my head around.

"Yeah?"

" Me and your father an heading around to the shop, do you want me to pick you up anything? You know?" My cheeks flushed as I realised what she meant, shaking my head violently. "No! No, it's okay mum. Oh, gross."

She looked at me doubtfully.

"Well, if you say so sweetheart. There are some fajitas left over from dinner downstairs if you and Phil want to have some additional food."

"Thanks mum."

I leaned out of the room to give her a kiss, and she smiled at me before turning to back down.

I locked the door again, shuddering slightly and walking back over to where Phil sat, confused.

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to know if we needed anything from the shop. You know... Supply stuff."

Phil looked bemused for a few seconds longer, before realization spread across his face; I nearly went into hysterics at the look of complete mortification he was sporting.

"Oh, god!"

The evening passed perfectly, full of terribly unhealthy foods, rubbish TV programs/ films, and lots of kisses and hugs. We stayed awake talking long after the final film rolled it's credits, and a quick poke of my head around the door confirmed that the house was silent. The soundproofing throughout the attic ensured that if we talked more we wouldn't disturb anyone, a fact I was very appreciative of.

"What was it like?" I asked the question delicately, not sure on how to phrase it.  
"What was what like?"  
"Your…. Old job. You know?"  
"Oh, that. Well, it really depended on the employee in question. Sometimes, it was okay and actually not too bad. Other times…. Well, let's say it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Of course, you always get the ones who try to avoid paying you, but there aren't many of those. I'm not proud of what I did, but I don't regret it. I did what I needed to do at the time."  
I nodded thoughtfully, pulling him closer to me and running my hand through his hair in a stroking formation as I pondered.

"Did you ever have bad experiences?"  
"Oh god, all the time. I had one guy who went mental when I asked for the money, pinning me against the wall and attempting to rape me at knife point even though I had already given him what he paid for."  
"Oh my god!" My eyes widened and I leaned forward, holding my breath as he carried on.  
"yeah, he basically cornered me and I'm pretty sure if my phone hadn't rung and freaked him off me I'd either be dead or too scarred to carry on."  
"And you just carried on like it never happened?"  
"Well, of course it made me more nervous in the future and make sure my customers didn't look too creepy. But then, nearly all of them did, considering my situation."

"Did you ever sometimes get people who didn't even want sex?"  
"Yeah, I mean I've had people who just want someone to sit and comfort them, but they feel they can't trust anyone they know; it's a cool but saddening situation to be in to be honest. I've heard a few heart breaking stories during my time. I had one who came to see me several times every week for a good six months; he had just been left by his partner and he needed a shoulder to cry on. The worse things about those sort of people is you feel guilty taking their money when really they should be looked after by their family and friends, not by a whore."  
"That's really horrible… those poor people."  
"Yeah, but I suppose it made me better as a person because I've seen people in those situations so now I understand them better. It's sad, but in the long run I guess those people will feel better for it. And anyway, sometimes it was nice not to have to have sex with every single customer."

**Phil's P.O.V**

Oddly, Dan's little interrogation didn't bother me at all; it was actually quite nice to talk about what I had done, and made me feel even more grateful about what I had now. Of course, Dan was the only person apart from myself and the other whores who knew what I did for a living, but I felt it bought us closer as we talked quietly. At around four in the morning, our conversations trailed off and we lay together, his sleek frame curled against mine and his perfect, unblemished cheek resting just below my heart. After about ten minutes of companionable silence, Dan snuffled with laughter and I looked at him questioningly.

"I can hear your heart beating."

"Thank goodness I'd be worried if you couldn't," I smiled, leaning forward and tilting his face up so I could press a loving kiss to his lips; he sighed contentedly and pushed me back into the pillow, slinging his long arms around my neck and moving his mouth against mine languidly. My hands found themselves at home on the slope of Dan's hips and I chuckled as I felt his heart rate pick up at the touch; smirking to myself, I slowly slid one up to where I knew he had a weak spot- his neck. If anyone else tried touching it, it was likely he would whine and back away, but he told me that was only because it was like a g-spot for him and he couldn't handle people touching it. Sure enough, as my fingers brushed across the nape, he let out a groan of half hearted protest into my lips and pressed himself tighter against me. Smiling again, I broke the kiss.

"Do we have early sessions at college tomorrow?"

"No, we've got study frees all day. Don't worry, I planned this to make sure we wouldn't be too tired!" He gave me a wink and I rolled my eyes before letting him settle back into his previous position against my side. Soon after, a gentle snore followed by a hamster like snuffle told me he had drifted off, and only minutes after my body finally gave in and followed suit. It was a gentle, perfect ending to a stunning day.

*two weeks later*

**Dan's P.O.V **

"Time to wake up!" I heard Phil's voice, bright and cheerful as always, through my sleep laced haze and moaned, rolling to hide my face in the pillows. We had taken to both sleeping in the attic room, assuring my mother that nothing would happen and if it did, we'd be sensible (I cringed through out the entire conversation).

"Dan? Come on, you lazy bum, get yourself out of bed and get ready for college! We have to be there soon, and we've got Michael first; you know how he is about lates."

"Can't go." I snuffled into the pillow as my head banged.

"What? Why?"

"I'm ill!"

I turned round to look at Phil, only imagining what I looked like. My nose was stuffed, my eyes felt puffy and sore and the pain in my head spiked sharply, blinding me for a moment and making me groan and drop back to the bed.

I heard Phil sigh before sitting next to me on the bed, pulling me to his side and stroking my hair.

"Awh, poor sweetheart. Never mind, I'll go let your mum know. Will you be okay alone today, or would you prefer for me to be here?"

"Of course I want you here, but you need to go to college. I'll be fine; it's probably just a cold. I'll see you later, okay?"

He smiled and bent to press a kiss to my clammy forehead.  
"Alright, love. I'll see you later, give me a call if you need anything, okay?"  
"Okay." I snuggled down into the warm bed and gave him a weary grin. "Enjoy college."  
"I'll try."  
He disappeared off down to his room to grab clean clothes, and a few minutes later I heard the door softly click shut, and I shut my eyes as a sigh slipped from my lips.

AN: What's this? Another update in less than a fortnight?! Yeah, so basically I'm going back to school tomorrow and I wanted to update beforehand so I didn't have to do it really quickly when I'm settling back in this year; I have free periods now, so maybe I'll be able to update even more often! Anyway, let me know what you thought and do follow if you want! :)


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